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Hull Number: SC 177

The original SC 177 was built at Matthews Boat in Port Clinton, Ohio. In November, 1917, and delivered to New York.

A second chaser, initially designated SC 405, was built at Rocky River Drydock in Rocky River, Ohio, and was sold to France. SC 405 was damaged during trial runs. To address the situation, the two hulls were exchanged: SC 177 was delivered to France, and SC 405 was sent to Charleston to be re-designed as a USN vessel.

On 18 December 1918 the chaser originally designated SC 405 was commissioned as SC 177.
On 28 December, 1918, the USN delivered the chaser originally designated SC 177 to France, and it was re-designating SC 405.

SC 177 was in the first convoy of chasers to leave New London, CT for overseas service. They left on 24 February 1918. This chaser was assigned to service at Plymouth, England (Base 27). It served initially in "Group 13," which consisted of SC 177, SC 143 and SC 148. In July 1918 the detachment at Plymouth was reorganized into "hunting units," and SC 177 became unit leader of Unit 1 (the same three chasers).

Photograph from the collection of crewman Clyde Campbell Thomas, BM2 and later CBM on submarine chaser SC 143. Thanks to Phil Pomber, his grandson, for submitting the image to The Subchaser Archives.